Human rights of persons with mental disability: from discourse to reality.

Since 1989, the major professional organization of psychiatrists has expressed concern for the human rights of people with mental disorders: "Involuntary intervention is a great infringement of the human rights and the fundamental freedom of a patient. Therefore, specific, and carefully defined criteria and safeguards are needed for such intervention. Hospitalization or treatment against the will of a patient should not be conducted unless the patient suffers from serious mental illness. Involuntary intervention must be conducted in accordance with the least restrictive principle.

Human rights violations among men who have sex with men and transgender people in South Africa.

Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender (TG) people face human rights violations (HRVs) which impact their access to critical interventions for HIV prevention, treatment, and related services. Objectives: This study describes how Beyond Zero, a not-for-profit organisation in South Africa, built an HRV reporting system and discusses data on the HRVs experienced by MSM and TG people who accessed HIV prevention services between 01 January 2021 and 31 December 2021. Method: This was a cross-sectional study using secondary analysis of programmatic data routinely collected as part of HIV prevention programmes for MSM and TG in 10 rural districts of South Africa. Results: A total of 249 individuals reported having experienced HRVs. Of these, 113 (54.6%) were physical violations, 145 (58.2%) were psychosocial harassment, 15 (18.3%) were experienced within the workplace, and 59 (23.7%) were experienced at a healthcare or social services institution. Overall, 77% of the physical violations and 70.4% of the psychosocial violations occurred in the home and local community settings; 76.1% of the perpetrators of physical violence and 79.3% of the perpetrators of psychosocial harassment were known. Most incidents of physical violence (80.5%) and psychosocial harassment (92.4%) were not reported due to fear of homophobic or transphobic violence. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of documenting HRVs among MSM and TG people within HIV prevention programmes. Men who have sex with men and TG people should be systematically screened for HRVs and linked to legal or other services. What this study adds: Our findings present data on the nature of HRVs in 10 districts outside of the large urban centres where research documenting the lived experiences of MSM, TG people and other key populations is traditionally conducted in South Africa. This data contribute to addressing the gap in the literature on the needs of MSM and TG people in South Africa caused by the delayed inclusion of rural MSM and TG people in research.

Meaningless gestures or pathway to healing and reconciliation? Comparing the perspectives on political apologies in victim and non-victim communities in El Salvador, the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom.

Political apologies have been theorized to play an important role in healing and reconciliation processes in post-conflict settings. Whether they actually fulfil this function, however, remains unclear as the voices and perspectives of victim communities have largely been underrepresented in research. To address this, we examined the role of apologies that were offered for the El Mozote massacre (El Salvador), the Jeju 4.3 massacres (Republic of Korea) and Bloody Sunday (United Kingdom), according to members of these communities and the broader public. Although we anticipated that victim community members should find the apology more valuable and meaningful and should, therefore, be more positive about its role in healing and reconciliation processes, we found that this varies across countries. This variation could be explained by people's trust in the country's institutions. Across the samples, we found that the apology was seen as a relatively important gesture. For the apology to be perceived as impactful, however, it had to be seen as a meaningful (i.e. sincere) gesture. Our findings suggest that apologies have a role to play in the aftermath of human rights violations, but that it is essential to take the broader context into account.

Modelado dinámico del fenómeno criminal en Colombia para la toma de decisiones de política pública / Dynamic modeling of the criminal phenomenon in Colombia for public policy decision making / Modelagem dinâmica do fenômeno criminoso na Colômbia para decisões de política pública

El presente artículo se originó en la necesidad de entender el crimen como una problemática pública, que debe ser analizada a partir de una hipótesis causal que explique el fenómeno delictivo en Colombia con una perspectiva social con diferentes enfoques teóricos, con el fin de establecer líneas de acción para la toma de decisiones de política pública que contribuyan a su reducción. En la primera parte, se presenta la hipótesis causal propuesta y se desarrollan cada uno de sus componentes. Posteriormente, se desarrolla un análisis descriptivo de las denuncias por tipo de delito y de la población privada de la libertad, en la que se identifica las diferencias y las similitudes en las condiciones socioeconómicas para los delitos de mayor incidencia. Por último, se desarrolla un modelo de simulación continua y se analiza el resultado de posibles estrategias de política pública. El resultado obtenido reflejó la necesidad de diseñar políticas públicas pluralistas, que apunten a la solucionar las causas de raíz del fenómeno del crimen, en torno a la construcción social y a la reducción de la impunidad.

This article arose from the need to understand crime as a public problem, which should be analyzed on the basis of a causal hypothesis that explains the criminal phenomenon in Colombia from a social perspective with different theoretical approaches, in order to establish lines of action for public policy decisions that contribute to its reduction. In the first part, the proposed causal hypothesis is presented and each of its components is developed. Subsequently, a descriptive analysis of the reports by type of crime and of the population deprived of liberty is developed, identifying the differences and similarities in the socioeconomic conditions for the crimes with the highest incidence. Finally, a continuous simulation model is developed and the result of possible public policy strategies is analyzed. The result obtained reflected the need to design pluralistic public policies aimed at solving the root causes of the crime phenomenon, in terms of social construction and the reduction of impunity.

Este artigo surgiu da necessidade de entender o crime como um problema público, que deve ser analisado com base em uma hipótese causal que explique o fenômeno criminoso na Colômbia a partir de uma perspectiva social com diferentes abordagens teóricas, a fim de estabelecer linhas de ação para decisões de política pública que contribuam para sua redução. Na primeira parte, é apresentada a hipótese causal proposta e cada um de seus componentes é desenvolvido. Posteriormente, é desenvolvida uma análise descritiva dos relatórios por tipo de crime e da população privada de liberdade, identificando as diferenças e semelhanças nas condições sócio-econômicas para os crimes mais comuns. Finalmente, um modelo de simulação contínua é desenvolvido e o resultado de possíveis estratégias de políticas públicas é analisado. O resultado obtido reflete a necessidade de elaborar políticas públicas pluralistas que visem resolver as causas profundas do fenômeno do crime, em termos de construção social e de redução da impunidade.

La violencia intrafamiliar como violencia de género en la pandemia por COVID-19 / Domestic violence as gender violence in the covid-19 pandemic

Desde el contexto general y local, la violencia de género, como parasol de las diferentes violencias en contra de las mujeres, sigue teniendo relevancia y se ha recrudecido en la coyuntura de la pandemia por el COVID-19. La pandemia y el posterior confinamiento global agudizaron no solo la impunidad de los agresores, sino también los componentes de violencia cultural, sometimiento y aislamiento de las mujeres dadas comúnmente antes, durante y después de una situación límite o un desastre que implique de manera macro a una parte de la población. Por este motivo, a través de esta revisión biblio-gráfica, se concluye que la pandemia por COVID-19 evidenció una violencia de género expresada como violencia intrafamiliar y facilitada por el confinamiento y la falta de acceso a la justicia colombiana

From the general and local context, gender violence, as the umbrella of the different forms of violence against women, continues to be relevant and has intensified in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic and the subsequent global confinement have exacerbated not only the impunity of the aggressors, but also the components of cultural violence, subjugation and isolation of women that commonly occur before, during and after an extreme situation or a disaster that involves part of the population in a macro way. For this reason, through this bibliographic review, it is concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic evidenced gender violence expressed as intrafamily violence and facilitated by the confinement and lack of access to Colombian justice

Forensic Anthropology in Investigations of Crimes Against Humanity: Global Dimensions and the Mid-19th-Century Ajnala (India) Massacre.

Heinous crimes and brutalities have decimated humanity throughout human history. In modern times, forensic anthropologists have helped to reconstruct the nature and mechanism, intent and purpose, manner, and circumstances of various inhumane instances of genocides and violent crimes. Anthropologists endeavor to bring closure and comfort to bereaved families by disseminating information about the location, exhumation, and identification of the remains of victims. The methodological armamentarium and scope of forensic anthropology have developed much beyond the realms of the traditional biological profiling casework to the scenarios of humanitarian concerns. Humanitarian forensics focuses on the excavation and identification of the remains of victims and facilitates the dignified burial of the deceased. This review article highlights and exemplifies the significant contributions of forensic anthropological expertise in revealing various crimes against humanity and human rights violations committed in the recent past as well as in some contemporary cases reported from around the globe. It includes cases such as Guatemalan, Cambodian, and Bosnian genocides, as well as other mass killings that illustrate the efficacy of anthropological evidence in reconstructing the nature, mechanism, and circumstances related to these incidences. Special emphasis is given to the Ajnala (India) skeletal remains excavated from an abandoned well - remains reportedly belonging to 282 Indian soldiers killed in 1857 whose corpses were dumped into the said disused well by sanitary workers - indicating the importance of forensic anthropology in authenticating the occurrence of events as mentioned in historical records. Analysis of different case histories reveals that forensic anthropologists have played a significant role in recovery and identification of the victims of the many war crimes, genocides, racial conflicts, and violent cruelties committed against mankind in modern history.

Multinational corporations and human right violations in emerging economies: Do commitment to social and environmental responsibility matter?

With the surge in economic growth in the global-north vis-a-vis social and economic inequalities in the global-south (north-south dichotomy), there is an increasing requirement for critical research and an examination of the policy implications with respect to human rights in emerging economies. This paper draws on the concept of convergence and institutional theories to enhance our understanding of how multinational corporations (MNCs) fulfil their profit maximisation agendas using capitalist principles; and the extent to which these ideologies produce human rights violations in emerging economies. Using multiple data sources from the Human Rights Watch, our study provides a comprehensive list of various human rights violations perpetrated by MNCs from 2002 to 2017. We verified 273 violations by 160 MNCs mostly from developed countries. More than 90% of our sample firms have CSR/sustainability committees, are signatories to the UN Global Compact and have reported compliance with the International Labour Organisation (ILO). This raises questions about the effectiveness of these programmes for CSR compliance. We contribute to the CSR/sustainability literature by providing new insights into the nature and location of human rights violations committed by MNCs.

Denúncias de violência financeira contra idosos no Brasil: 2011-2018 / Complaints of financial violence against the elderly in Brazil: 2011-2018 / Informes de violencia financiera contra las personas mayores en Brasil: 2011- 2018

Objetivo: Analisar a violência financeira contra idosos no Brasil nos anos de 2011 a 2018. Método: Pesquisa exploratória, descritiva, comparativa e quantitativa. Os dados foram adquiridos junto ao "Disque Direitos Humanos - Disque 100 do Ministério da Mulher, da Família e dos Direitos Humanos" (MMFDH). Os dados adquiridos foram organizados no software Microsoft Excel 2016® for Windows®, sendo implementada análise estatística descritiva. Resultados: Foi identificado o universo de 119.440 registros com média e desvio-padrão (14.930±5.249,3). A região Nordeste (NE) registrou a maior preponderância com 39,1% (n=46.711) e o estado de Minas Gerais (MG) registrou a maior preponderância com 10,4% (n=12.458). Retenção de salário/bens foi o crime com a maior preponderância registrando 65,3% (n=77.955) e subtração/invalidação/ocultação e documentos a menor com 0,9% (n=1.055). Considerações finais: Foi verificado aumento na frequência de registros de denúncias de violência contra o idoso no recorte histórico e geográfico analisados.

Objective: To analyze financial violence against the elderly in Brazil from 2011 to 2018. Method: Exploratory, descriptive, comparative and quantitative research. The data were acquired from the "Dial Human Rights - Dial 100 of the Ministry of Women, Family and Human Rights" (MMFDH). The acquired data were organized in Microsoft Excel 2016® for Windows® software, and descriptive statistical analysis was implemented. Results: The universe of 119.440 records with mean and standard deviation (14,930±5,249.3) was identified. The Northeast Region (NE) registered the greatest preponderance with 39.1% (n=46.711) and the state of Minas Gerais (MG) registered the greatest preponderance with 10.4% (n=12.458). Withholding of wages/goods was the crime with the highest preponderance registering 65.3% (n=77.955) and the smallest subtraction/invalidation/concealment and documents with 0.9% (n=1.055). Final considerations: There was an increase in the frequency of records of reports of violence against the elderly in the analyzed historical and geographic context.

Objetivo: Analizar la violencia financiera contra las personas mayores en Brasil de 2011 a 2018. Método: Investigación exploratoria, descriptiva, comparativa y cuantitativa. Los datos fueron adquiridos del "Dial de Derechos Humanos - Dial 100 del Ministerio de la Mujer, la Familia y los Derechos Humanos" (MMFDH). Los datos adquiridos se organizaron en el software Microsoft Excel 2016® para Windows® y se implementó un análisis estadístico descriptivo. Resultados: Se identificó el universo de 119,440 registros con media y desviación estándar (14,930 ± 5,249,3). La Región Nordeste (NE) registró la mayor preponderancia con 39,1% (n=46.711) y el estado de Minas Gerais (MG) registró la mayor preponderancia con 10,4% (n=12.458). La retención de salarios/bienes fue el delito con mayor preponderancia registrando 65.3% (n=77.955) y la menor resta/invalidación/ocultación y documentos con 0.9% (n=1.055). Consideraciones finales: Hubo un aumento en la frecuencia de registros de denuncias de violencia contra el adulto mayor en el contexto histórico y geográfico analizado.

Perceptions of and barriers to HIV testing of women in Indonesia.

Indonesia's 2014 health reforms advocated for universal health coverage for all Indonesians. The reforms made provision for integrated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) programmes, with testing available at community health centres and hospitals for pregnant women and women of childbearing age. The question remains, though, as to whether testing has been effective. This article focuses on barriers women face accessing HIV testing and presents findings from the experiences of 18 HIV-positive women. To triangulate findings, interviews were conducted with 26 health workers, 9 non-governmental organisation workers and 12 HIV stakeholders. The article examines barriers to pregnant women's access to HIV tests, showing that barriers relate to women not having reproductive health rights. It highlights reproductive rights noted in the Respectful Maternity Care Charter, and violations to them relevant to HIV testing in pregnancy. Five reported rights violations include: women being unable to access information; being unable to make informed decisions; having no right to confidentiality and privacy; experiencing ongoing discrimination; and having no right to timely HIV testing. The failure of Indonesia to protect these rights contributes to women being denied HIV testing. Findings show the need for increased HIV testing services for pregnant women and assert that health personnel and programme policy-makers need to be held accountable for the protection and fulfilment of women's rights in respect of HIV testing. The findings show that policy makers must make changes to ensure health services improve, health professionals must be better trained, and women's socio-cultural and political contexts must be considered.

Systematic human rights violations, traumatic events, daily stressors and mental health of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Almost 900,000 Rohingya refugees currently reside in refugee camps in Southeastern Bangladesh. Prior to fleeing Myanmar, Rohingya experienced years of systematic human rights violations, in addition to other historical and more recent traumatic events such as the burning of their villages and murder of family members, friends and neighbors. Currently, many Rohingya struggle to meet basic needs in refugee camps in Bangladesh and face mental health-related concerns that appear linked to such challenges. The purpose of this study is to describe systematic human rights violations, traumatic events, daily stressors, and mental health symptoms and to examine relationships between these factors. METHODS: Cross-sectional data was collected from a representative sample of 495 Rohingya refugee adults residing in camps in Bangladesh in July and August of 2018. RESULTS: Respondents reported high levels of systematic human rights violations in Myanmar, including restrictions related to expressing thoughts, meeting in groups, travel, religious practices, education, marriage, childbirth, healthcare, and more. Events experienced in Myanmar included exposure to gunfire (99%), destruction of their homes (93%), witnessing dead bodies (92%), torture (56%), forced labor (49%), sexual assault (33%), and other events. More than half (61%) of participants endorsed mental health symptom levels typically indicative of PTSD, and more than two thirds (84%) endorsed levels indicative of emotional distress (symptoms of anxiety and depression). Historic systematic human rights violations, traumatic events, and daily stressors were associated with symptoms of posttraumatic stress, as well as depression and anxiety. Respondents reported numerous stressors associated with current life in the camps in Bangladesh as well as previous stressors, such as harassment, encountered in Myanmar. CONCLUSIONS: Findings underscore the impact of systematic human rights violations, targeted violence, and daily stressors on the mental health of Rohingya in Bangladesh. Those working with Rohingya should consider the role of such factors in contributing to poor mental health. This research has the potential to inform interventions targeting such elements. Future research should examine the relationships between mental health and human rights violations over time.

COVID-19 palaver: Ending rights violations of vulnerable groups in Africa.

This commentary amplifies the rising spate of human rights violations as laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. It notes that while governments in the region have declared restrictions on social gathering, in a bid to upend the deadly contagion, rights violations of vulnerable groups by law enforcement officials are on the increase. It argues that the underlying rationale for such flagrant abuse of power stems from the dearth of a rights-based approach to police-public relations, indifference of political actors, and a grossly inadequate public health and social care infrastructures for undervalued and powerless groups. Policy implications are laid out while suggestions are offered to social work professionals given their longstanding commitment to national security and development.

Human rights in countries of origin and the mental health of migrants to Canada.

This study explores the effect of human rights violations in countries of origin on migrants' mental health, using archival data on human rights violations from 1970-2011, merged to a representative probability sample of 2412 adults living in a large Canadian metropolitan area. The context of exit is defined at the country level, as opposed to self-reported individual experiences of trauma. While most studies start from a question about direct exposure to human rights violations, they may miss the effect of the national-level social context - threat, instability, disruption of lives, and uncertainty - on mental health. Findings indicate that high levels of human rights violations in countries of origin have long-term effects on migrants' mental health. The impact of human rights violations is substantially explained by the combined effect of stressors both before and after migration, suggesting a cumulative process of stress proliferation following this context of exit.

An assessment of stigma and human right violations among men who have sex with men in Abuja, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: There have been several barriers in effectively engaging men who have sex with men for STI/HIV prevention and treatment programming in Nigeria including social stigma, policies, and laws criminalizing same-sex practices. The objective of this study was to describe the human rights context for MSM in Abuja and characterize factors associated with having had a genital ulcer disease in the previous 12 months, a health outcome associated with increased risk of HIV acquisition and transmission. METHODS: A convenience sample of 297 men reporting ever having had anal intercourse with another man participated in the study in 2008. A structured survey instrument including sexual risk behaviour for STI/HIV, disclosure of sexual orientation, perceived and enacted human rights violations were performed. Descriptive and inferential data analyses were conducted using Stata11 software. RESULTS: 36% reported having been discriminated due to sexual orientation and 17% reported being afraid to walk the streets of their community. Enacted rights violations included 41% having been blackmailed, 36% been beaten, 13% been denied housing, and 11% been jailed due to sexual orientation. Having been blackmailed due to sexual orientation (aOR 3.40, 95%CI: 1.35-8.56) was significantly associated with reporting having had a genital ulcer in the last 12 months. Having been beaten due to sexual orientation (aOR 2.36, 95%CI:0.96-5.82) was moderately significantly associated with reporting having had a genital ulcer in the last 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of experienced stigma, discrimination and human rights violations among MSM in Abuja was reported, constituting structural risks that are linked to sexual risk behaviour for STI/HIV. Given data on the high prevalence and incidence of HIV among MSM in Abuja, these findings reinforce the need for structural interventions to mediate access to STI/HIV prevention and treatment services.

New politics, an opportunity for maternal health advancement in eastern myanmar: an integrative review.

Myanmar (formerly Burma) is a southeast Asian country, with a long history of military dictatorship, human rights violations, and poor health indicators. The health situation is particularly dire among pregnant women in the ethnic minorities of the eastern provinces (Kachin, Shan, Mon, Karen and Karenni regions). This integrative review investigates the current status of maternal mortality in eastern Myanmar in the context of armed conflict between various separatist groups and the military regime. The review examines the underlying factors contributing to high maternal mortality in eastern Myanmar and assesses gaps in the existing research, suggesting areas for further research and policy response. Uncovered were a number of underlying factors uniquely contributing to maternal mortality in eastern Myanmar. These could be grouped into the following analytical themes: ongoing conflict, health system deficits, and political and socioeconomic influences. Abortion was interestingly not identified as an important contributor to maternal mortality. Recent political liberalization may provide space to act upon identified roles and opportunities for the Myanmar Government, the international community, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in a manner that positively impacts on maternal healthcare in the eastern regions of Myanmar. This review makes a number of recommendations to this effect.

Aspectos éticos y jurídicos de la comercialización de partes separadas del cuerpo humano / Ethical and legal aspects of commercialization of individual human body parts

El trabajo expone reflexiones sobre la mercantilización del cuerpo humano, sus partes y sus productos. Centralmente toma el caso particular de las células humanas, que en sí no presenta mayores diferencias con otros, como el de los genes, proteínas, secuencias de genes, medicamentos biológicos etc., por cuya razón las conclusiones a las que arribemos deben reconocer un cierto grado de generalización. En las consideraciones finales se recuerda los enormes cambios en la idea de la comercialización del cuerpo humano, que evocaba la esclavitud y se hay pasado muy rápidamente a una situación donde ella está ligada a los progresos de la Medicina, rematando a la conclusión con la advertencia que el debate no puede quedar circunscripto a los derechos de propiedad industrial en la medida en que se encuentran comprometidos intereses de primer nivel como la salud y la dignidad humana.

This paper presents reflections on the commodification of the human body, its parts and products. It centrallytakes the particular case of human cells, which in itself presents no major differences with other organisms,such as genes, proteins, gene sequences, biological medications, etc, for which reason the conclusions whichcan be reached, may be generalizable in some degree. In the final considerations the enormous changes in theidea of commercialization of the human body are reminded, which evoked slavery and passed very quickly toa situation linked to medical progress. The conclusion with the warning that the debate can not be confined toindustrial property rights to the extent that compromises interests in the first level such as health and humandignity.

People with mental illness and human rights: A developing countries perspective.

BACKGROUND: Human rights violations among the people with mental illness were not an uncommon occurrence. The present study was aimed to compare persons with psychiatric illness and their caregivers' perceptions regarding the human rights status of people with mental illness in the community. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive design was carried out among randomly selected asymptomatic psychiatric patients and their caregivers (N=200) at a tertiary care center. Data was collected through face-to-face interview, using a structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed and interpreted using descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: Our findings revealed that the caregivers than psychiatric patients perceived negatively to the statements i.e., 'Receiving equal information and encouragement about career opportunities' (χ(2)=10.779, P<0.029), 'Opposing discriminatory actions, slurs' (χ(2)=9.472, P<0.050) 'Resolving the conflicts with people with mental illness through nonviolent ways' (χ(2)=27.091, P<0.000), 'Responding to the complaints of harassment or discrimination against the people with mental illness' (χ(2)=18.697, P<0.001), 'Encouraged to continue their education' (χ(2)=13.029, P<0.023) 'Exploitation by the community members' (χ(2)=18.653, P<0.001) and working under fair conditions (χ(2)=13.470, P<0.009). CONCLUSION: The study suggests that there is an urgent need to take necessary steps to protect, promote, and fulfill human rights of people with mental illness through providing care, educating the community, and strengthening the legislations.

Gross human rights violations and reparation under international law: approaching rehabilitation as a form of reparation.

The strengthening of international criminal law through an increased focus on the right to reparation and rehabilitation for victims of crimes against humanity represents an important challenge to health professionals, particularly to those in the field of trauma research and treatment. A brief outline of some developments in the field of international law and justice for victims of gross human rights violations is presented, with a focus on the right to reparation including the means for rehabilitation. The fulfillment of this right is a complex endeavor which raises many questions. The road to justice and reparation for those whose rights have been brutally violated is long and burdensome. The active presence of trauma-informed health professionals in this process is a priority. Some of the issues raised within the context of states' obligations to provide and ensure redress and rehabilitation to those subjected to torture and gross human rights violations are discussed, and in particular how rehabilitation can be understood and responded to by health professionals.

Perceived human rights violation in persons with mental illness: role of education.

BACKGROUND: People with mental illness are vulnerable to human rights violations and people with illiteracy and mental illness are at a double disadvantage. OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of education in ascertaining human rights needs of people with mental illness. METHODOLOGY: This was a descriptive study carried out among randomly selected (N = 100) recovered psychiatric patients with mental illness in the past based on the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale at a tertiary care centre. Data were collected through face-to-face interview using structured needs assessment questionnaire comprising two sections related to family and community domains. Data were analysed and interpreted using descriptive and inferential statistics. FINDINGS: Our findings revealed that human rights needs in the physical needs dimension--i.e., access to electricity (χ2 = 5.523, p < .019) and safe drinking water facilities (χ2 = 9.665, p < .022)--were rated higher in illiterates than in literates. The human rights needs in emotional dimension - i.e. feeling separated from their families because of their illness (χ2 = 13.118, p < .004), afraid of family members (χ2 = 13.388, p < .004) and called filthy nicknames (χ2 = 17.759, p < .000) - were rated higher in literates than in illiterates. The human rights needs in the religious needs dimension - i.e. allowed to go to temple, church, mosque etc. (χ2 = 12.000, p < .007) - and in the social needs dimension - i.e. friendliness with family members -were rated higher in illiterates than in literates (χ2 = 9.661, p < .022). CONCLUSION: Empowering people with mental illness by providing adequate opportunity to pursue education will play an important role in fulfilling the obligation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Das violações em massa aos padrões estruturais: novos enfoques e clássicas tensões no sistema interamericano de direitos humanos / From massive violations to structural patterns: new approaches and classic tensions in the inter-american human rights system / De las violaciones masivas a los patrones estructurales: nuevos enfoques y clásicas tensiones en el sistema interamericano de derechos humanos

O Sistema Interamericano de Direitos Humanos (SIDH) incidiu no processo de internacionalização dos sistemas jurídicos em vários países da América Latina na última década. A jurisprudência do SIDH começou a ser aplicada gradualmente nas decisões de tribunais constitucionais e das cortes supremas nacionais e, nos últimos tempos, na formulação de algumas políticas estatais. Esse processo produziu importantes mudanças institucionais. Por outro lado, problemas e obstáculos têm provocado alguns retrocessos. O SIDH se encontra num período de fortes debates, que procuram definir suas prioridades temáticas e sua lógica de intervenção, num novo cenário político regional de democracias deficitárias e excludentes, que é diferente do cenário político que o viu nascer e dar seus primeiros passos. Este artigo procura apresentar um panorama geral de algumas discussões estratégicas sobre o papel do SIDH no cenário político regional. Neste artigo sugere-se que o SIDH deveria no futuro aprofundar seu papel político, colocando foco nos padrões estruturais que afetam o exercício efetivo dos direitos pelos setores subordinados da população. Para tanto, deverá resguardar sua função subsidiaria aos sistemas de proteção nacionais e buscar que seus princípios e parâmetros se incorporem não apenas nas decisões dos tribunais, mas também na orientação geral das leis e das políticas de governo.

The Inter-American System of Human Rights (ISHR), during the last decade, has influenced the internationalization of legal systems in various Latin American countries. This led to the gradual application of ISHR jurisprudence in constitutional courts and national supreme courts, and most recently, in the formulation of some state policies. This process resulted in major institutional changes, but there have been problems and obstacles, which have led to some setbacks. The ISHR finds itself in a period of intense debates, which seek to define thematic priorities and the logic of intervention, in the context of a new regional political environment of deficient and exclusionary democracies, different from the political landscape in which the ISHR was born and took its first steps. This article seeks to present an overview of some strategic discussions about the role of the ISHR in the regional political sphere. This article suggests that the ISHR should in the future intensify its political role, by focusing on the structural obstacles that affect the meaningful exercise of rights by the subordinate sectors of the population. To achieve this, it should safeguard its subsidiary role in relation to the national justice systems and ensure that its principles and standards are incorporating not only the reasoning of domestic courts, but the general trend of the laws and governmental policies.

El Sistema Interamericano de Derechos Humanos (SIDH) ha incidido en la última década en el proceso de internacionalización de los sistemas jurídicos en varios países de América Latina. La jurisprudencia del SIDH se comenzó a aplicar gradualmente en las decisiones de los tribunales constitucionales y las cortes supremas nacionales, y en los últimos tiempos en la formulación de algunas políticas estatales. Este proceso produjo importantes cambios institucionales, pero también enfrenta problemas y obstáculos, lo que lo ha llevado a sufrir algunos retrocesos. El SIDH se encuentra en un período de fuertes debates, que procuran definir sus prioridades temáticas y su lógica de intervención, en un nuevo escenario político regional de democracias deficitarias y excluyentes, diferente del escenario político que lo vio nacer y dar sus primeros pasos. Este artículo procura presentar un panorama general de algunas discusiones estratégicas acerca del rol del SIDH en el escenario político regional. En este artículo se sugiere que el SIDH debería en el futuro profundizar su rol político, poniendo la mira en los patrones estructurales que afectan el ejercicio efectivo de derechos por los sectores subordinados de la población. Para lograrlo deberá resguardar su función subsidiaria de los sistemas de protección nacionales, y procurar que sus principios y estándares se incorporen no sólo en la doctrina de los tribunales, sino en la orientación general de las leyes y las políticas de gobierno.